{
  "id": 1823555,
  "title": "Conflicts in Middle East drive rise in loan defaults",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/conflicts-in-middle-east-drive-rise-in-loan-defaults-1823555",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T22:26:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Bangkok Post Business",
    "slug": "bangkok-post-business",
    "url": "https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3303944/conflicts-in-middle-east-drive-rise-in-loan-defaults"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the second quarter of the year, the number of special mention loans turning into non-performing loans increased due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. This trend was evident in the periods of April 4 and April 3, where loan defaults rose significantly. By July 7, the situation had worsened further, with percentages indicating a higher proportion of non-performing loans compared to previous months.",
  "summary": "The migration of special mention (SM) loans to non-performing loans (NPLs) rose in the second quarter of this year, driven by persistent conflicts in the Middle East.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bangkok Post",
        "title": "Conflicts in Middle East drive rise in loan defaults",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/conflicts-in-middle-east-drive-rise-in-loan-defaults",
        "published": "2026-08-18T22:26:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}